


The Bedridden Captain

by HiddenSt0rms



Category: One Piece
Genre: Common Cold, F/M, Fever, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Luffy, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 09:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20061682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenSt0rms/pseuds/HiddenSt0rms
Summary: Nami comforts a sick and disappointed Luffy, because even the future Pirate King gets sick every once in a while. Pure fluff and innocence.





	The Bedridden Captain

Nami let out a curse when she tripped over a pile of dirty clothes, nearly dropping the tray in her hands. It'd already been a struggle getting it down the ladder without dropping it, but good thing trips down here were few and far between.

Luffy had started showing tell-tale signs of getting sick the day before. Nothing much, just a scratchy throat, headache, and the beginnings of a stuffy nose. Everyone had expected it to go away overnight, Luffy being Luffy and all, but when he woke up running a fever, Chopper ordered him to spend the day in bed.

This wouldn't have been so bad, except the crew had docked at a spring island to watch a lantern show that night. It absolutely crushed Luffy when Chopper said he was too sick to go. There was protest until Chopper added that it was doctor's orders, finalizing the conversation and leaving no room for argument.

Naturally the rest of the crew offered to stay behind as to not make their captain feel left out, but he insisted they go enjoy themselves. They wanted to argue, but it was captain's orders after all.

Taking care of what was essentially a whiny child that refused to stay still and in need of constant entertainment was exhausting just to look at. Nami sensed the reindeer's stress and offered to watch Luffy so he could take a break and have fun with everyone else. He'd been reluctant, as expected, so Nami threatened to enforce a fee if he stayed behind.

Sigh. Too bad there were no 'navigator's orders.'

The sniffling sounds coming from under the blanket indicated that Luffy was awake, giving Nami the green light to turn on the lamp and sit on the couch. "You holding up okay?"

The lump stirred, and soon Luffy was peeking his head out. Both his cheeks and nose were tinged red, his hair was matted way beyond its usual due, and the dark circles under his eyes were hard to miss. Needless to say, he looked awful.

Luffy pouted childishly with a thick sniffle. "This isn't fun."

"Well, it isn't supposed to be. Haven't you ever been sick before?"

Luffy pursed his lips in thought. "When I was a kid, probably. I don't really remember."

Hearing him sniffle again prompted Nami to nudge the tissue box closer. He took the chance to blow his nose, but that'd clearly been a mistake. His eyes fluttered shut as he drew in a sharp, quick breath. _"Hih…Hh'aschku! Hah'kichtshu!" _He blew his nose again, groaning in the process.

"Bless you," Nami wanted to comment how bad he sounded, but knowing him, he'd get mad for being treated like a weakling. Wanting to avoid any sort of conflict, she shifted the conversation to why she came down there in the first place. "Here, Chopper wanted you to take these."

Luffy shoved the pills down his throat and grimaced at the bitter taste. "What kind of candy_ is_ this?"

And to think Nami had been only one second away from giving him the water. "It's not candy, you idiot! It's medicine. You're supposed to swallow them whole."

She gave him the glass so he could wash down the taste, only for Luffy to gulp it down as if he'd never drank water before in his life.

"Slow down, you're gonna – "

She was cut off by the inevitable sounds of coughing. Sighing, Nami rubbed the boy's back until he was finished. The fit started with the purpose of removing the water from his lungs before progressing into chesty coughs.

"Geez, what am I gonna do with you?" Nami muttered. Once he seemed okay, she helped him lay back down and get situated back underneath the blanket. "Better?"

Luffy shook his head, wincing when his headache spiked. "Are we still docked?"

"Yes, why?"

"Then why's the ship spinning? Make it stop." Luffy whined the last part. Normally his whiny voice would earn him a hit on the head, but Nami's frustration was replaced with a deep concern.

"It's not," The navigator frowned and placed her palm on Luffy's forehead. He still felt too warm for comfort. "That reminds me, Chopper wanted me to check your temperature." She grabbed the thermometer off the tray and shook down the mercury.

Nami stuck the device under his tongue, her eyes narrowing. "Do _not _eat it, it's not food. Just keep it there."

The sparkle that had appeared in Luffy's eyes dulled, and Nami was ever so thankful she'd given that warning, or they'd have to add mercury poisoning to the list of his ailments.

"Ith it done yeh?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"It's been 10 seconds. Be patient."

Luffy couldn't help but wiggle his foot anxiously. He never was good with being still and waiting. Luckily it didn't take long because before he knew it, Nami was grabbing the thermometer to check it.

"What's it say?"

"101.2." Nami frowned as she read off the numbers.

"Is that bad?"

She nodded, shaking down the mercury before setting the tube back on the tray. "You still have a fever, but the medicine should help."

"It didn't taste good, though." Luffy shuddered at the memory.

Nami smiled softly and ran her fingers through his hair. "You want anything?"

Disappointment welled in Luffy's eyes, and in the saddest voice he said, "I want to be with everyone else."

Nami felt a sharp burn in her chest. He wasn't just missing out on cool looking lanterns, he was missing out on time spent with his nakama, which is what he valued most of all. "I know, but I'm sure they're not having as much fun without you. Just try to sleep it off."

"But I can't sleep, it's too boring."

"At least try."

"Don't wanna." He crossed his arms and pouted. 

Nami rolled her eyes at the childish antic. "You won't feel better if you don't."

Luffy gave that smile he did when he had an idea, making Nami tense up understandably. His ideas were rarely, if ever, safe. "I know what'll make me feel better…tell me a story."

Nami felt herself relax at the miniscule request, but still shook her head. "I don't know any. Ask Usopp when he gets back."

Luffy looked up with those begging, innocent eyes that twisted Nami's heart. "Please?"

The redhead sighed. "If I do, will you go to sleep?"

"Aw come on, it can't be _that _boring!"

Nami smiled. That's not what she'd meant of course, but if it would get him to rest, then so be it. "Okay. What story do you want?"

Luffy thought for a moment. "Tell me about Cocoyasi Village. I know the bad stuff, but I wanna know the good stuff."

Nami considered it. It wasn't her favorite topic in the world, but it's one that she at least knew a lot about. She thought about what Luffy likes…food, he likes food. "Well…you know why they call it Cocoyasi Village?"

Instantly intrigued, Luffy perked up. "No, why?"

"The village's coconuts are the best you'll ever taste."

"Really?"

"Yep. We used them for everything. Coconut oil for skin, coconut milk for cooking, or we just ate them plain. Bellemere-san – " Nami stopped herself. She rarely, if ever, brought her name up, and certainly not in casual conversation like this.

"What about her?" Luffy said it in such an innocent and curious voice that Nami couldn't stand to end the story in such an unsatisfying place.

"She used to make this amazing coconut cake. That's all…" Only it wasn't hurting her as much as she'd thought it would, so she continued. "Don't tell Sanji, but I still prefer hers. It was much sweeter and fluffier. I mean it Luffy, don't ever tell him that. He'd never get over it."

Luffy flashed his big smile. "Got it. I wish I could have some." He wiped his nose on his sleeve, immediately earning a scolding and a tissue being shoved in his face. He grumbled and blew his nose as Nami spoke up again.

"I also sold coconuts for double the price and told people they were 'special tangerines.' You'd be surprised at how many fell for it. And this one time I found a lodoicea that'd fallen from a tree. They're basically double coconuts, which weren't as common. I was so excited to sell it for triple the price, but then someone stole it. I still have no idea who. I was just walking in the marketplace and someone came and took my bag."

"Why would someone steal from a child?"

"Beats me. Point is, I was so upset, I went home crying."

"I bet Bellemere was mad."

Nami's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's an understatement. She stormed through the village to find the guy, but he'd gotten away. Genzo tried to help us find him, but it was too late. I was devastated, but then she took me and Nojiko tangerine picking to make me feel better."

"Is that what she always did when you were sad?"

"If we had enough tangerines - _Use a tissue! _Other times she'd take me and Nojiko down to the water. Her philosophy was always to be tough, let it go, and find a distraction."

"Kind of like what you're doing now? Distracting me?"

"You could say that, but she usually did something else when I was sick."

"What'd she do?"

"Guess."

"Took you to the water?"

"No, she had more common sense than _that_. She made me fresh orange juice," Nami smiled as she thought back to it. "It was always cold to soothe my throat if it was sore, and sometimes she'd mix medicine into it. Then she'd add sugar to it to make it sweet, and I could never even taste the medicine. It made me feel better every time."

Luffy smiled too. "That sounds nice."

"I can make you some the way she did, if you'd like."

Luffy gasped. He'd get hit if he were to even just _think_ about touching those oranges, let alone _consume _them. And now she was offering him some? Those were her treasures; irreplaceable and ironically for Nami, priceless. "Nami…are _you _sick?"

Nami just laughed and shook her head. "It won't take too long, I'll be right back."

Luffy's eyes widened. He just couldn't commit such a sinful crime. "No, don't. Those are Bellemere's. I can't…_hih_…I _can't_…_huh'ehtschu!_ _Hh'ikshu! Hih'__**tsCHHU!**_" He snapped forward, each sneeze sounding more congested the last. He blew his nose and was just about to protest more when Nami stopped him.

"Trust me, you need it. Just don't get used to it." Nami couldn't help but add that last part as she climbed up the ladder.

It didn't take her long to find the ripest one, the process being second nature to her. Once she found what deemed acceptable for the future Pirate King, she went to the kitchen in search of a blender. It felt like a crime to use Sanji's equipment, but she felt like she had a free pass, being Nami and all. Once the orange juice was made to her liking, she made her way back to the men's quarters…

Only to hear soft snores from beneath the blanket. She sighed and smiled.

"I just spent all this time making it and I climbed all the way down here, only for you to fall asleep," Nami scolded softly, setting the glass on the bedside table. It'd be a pleasant surprise for him to wake up to. She pulled the blanket up tighter and turned off the lamp. "Hope you feel better."

And she truly meant it. She couldn't stand to see her energetic captain like this. Hopefully the orange juice would work; it had to.


End file.
